The present invention generally relates to an assembly and method for receiving and storing hydrocarbon material and more particularly, to an assembly having a pair of discrete devices which cooperatively receive hydrocarbon emissions from a vehicular fuel tank.
A conventional carbon containing device, often referred to as xe2x80x9ccanisterxe2x80x9d, is typically deployed within a vehicle of the type having a hydrocarbon fuel storage tank. More particularly, the canister is physically and communicatively coupled to the storage tank and is effective to absorb and temporarily store hydrocarbon material (e.g., hydrocarbon emissions) emanating from the tank, thereby reducing the likelihood that the hydrocarbon material will be communicated into the atmosphere. When the vehicle is activated or operating, ambient or xe2x80x9cfreshxe2x80x9d air is drawn into the canister in order to force the stored hydrocarbon material into the engine where it is burned, thereby xe2x80x9cpurgingxe2x80x9d the canister and increasing the storage capacity of the canister, effective to allow the canister to again operatively receive and temporarily store hydrocarbon material.
While this approach reduces the amount of emitted hydrocarbons, such hydrocarbon material may potentially be emitted if the canister has become saturated or after a relatively long period of vehicular inactivity has occurred.
The present invention thus attempts to further reduce the mount of emitted hydrocarbons and provides other desired benefits which are set forth in greater detail below.
It is a first non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide an assembly and method for receiving and storing/absorbing hydrocarbon material which addresses some or all of the limitations of the conventional approach described above.
It is a second non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a method for purging the assembly.
It is a third non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide an assembly and method that minimizes the effects of water or condensation which may be transmitted to or which may occur within the assembly.
It is a fourth non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide an assembly and method for receiving and storing/absorbing hydrocarbon material that includes a selectively closeable vent which is adapted to allow the assembly to be selectively tested and which is adapted to allow the assembly to be selectively purged.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an assembly is provided for minimizing hydrocarbon emissions from a motor vehicle, the assembly including a first device for receiving hydrocarbon emissions from a vehicle fuel storage device (e.g., tank); and a second device coupled to the first device for receiving hydrocarbon emissions from the first device.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for use in combination with a vehicular canister is provided. The apparatus comprises a generally hollow body which may be selectively attached to the canister and which contains hydrocarbon absorbing material and an air filter, the filter being effective to allow the vehicular canister and the apparatus to be selectively purged to minimize the amount of particulates entering the vehicular canister during purging.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for minimizing hydrocarbon emissions from a vehicular storage canister into the ambient environment, the method including the steps of receiving hydrocarbon emissions from a fuel storage device in a first device, and receiving the hydrocarbon emissions from the first device in a second device coupled to the first device.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and by reference to the following drawings.